


Ghost Of You

by hobyblack



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Angst, Because he dead, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Everyone Still Plays Exy, Except Andrew, Ghost Andrew Minyard, M/M, POV Neil Josten, ghost au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-09-28 20:19:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20431856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobyblack/pseuds/hobyblack
Summary: Neil is the newest member of the Palmetto Foxes and he's just trying to keep under the radar until the end of the year when he disappears, When Aaron and Nicky bet him he can't sell a house, Neil takes up the offer thinking he'll at least have a house to himself with no questions asked. The catch? A very angry Andrew Minyard is haunting the house and he doesn't want Neil around... Or does he?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to @thecw4kids and @curlzformetal on tumblr for this post: https://curlzformetal.tumblr.com/post/186897403643/thecw4kids-ghost-in-the-house-get-out-i-will  
that inspired the story.

# 1

Neil had been a member of the Palmetto State Foxes for no more than a week before he had come to realize that his teammates had a serious betting problem. They wouldn't bet on the results of Exy games but about personal drama. About who liked who and who was gay and who was straight and who was going to fuck who. In other words, things that Neil wasn't interested in.

But this was different. Aaron and Nicky were whispering to each other the whole way to practice and Neil had gotten curious enough to ask them what was going on.

"I bet you can't sell a house," Aaron said.

Nicky looked at his cousin shocked, like he had said something horrifying. "Aaron!"

"That's an oddly specific bet," Neil said, interested in spite of himself. "What house?"

"Nicky's house," Aaron said. "Dare you to try."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Nicky said nervously.

"You want to get rid of it, don't you?" Aaron said.

"Yes, but..."

"Here's the deal," Aaron said. "We give the house to Neil. He has a year to sell it, or he has to keep it and pay for it. Otherwise, he makes the profits from the house."

"What's the catch?" Neil asked. It sounded too good to be true. Best of all, this kind of deal meant that he wouldn't have to have a background check before moving into this house. Neil thought about having his own place rather than being stuck in the Palmetto State dorms where his teammates could keep an eye on him. Matt was an okay roommate, but Seth was unbearable and Neil had too many secrets to hide. It would be easier to live alone.

"The catch is you have to keep it if it doesn't sell," Aaron said.

"Also, it's haunted," Nicky said.

Neil snorted, but Nicky's face soon told him that he was absolutely serious. "Haunted? What do you mean?"

"You'll find out," Aaron said. "Do you want to take the deal or not?"

"I'll take it," Neil said, wondering what he possibly had to lose.

* * *

After practice, Aaron drove Neil to his new home. Neil barely had any possessions and he could easily through them in the backseat of Aaron's expensive car. Nicky reluctantly agreed to come with Neil and Aaron.

"You're supposed to sell it, not live in it," Nicky said.

"Why can't I do both at once?" Neil asked. "People do that all the time and it's just sitting empty. It's a waste."

"Almost empty..." Nicky said.

Aaron parked the car in the driveway and Neil saw just how big the house was. It was better described as a mansion than a house. It could have passed for a castle, if it wasn't so terribly suburban.

"You don't honestly think it's haunted, do you?" Neil asked.

"Oh, I don't think," Nicky said. "I _know_."

Neil wasn't sure what to say, to that so he said nothing. He took his one duffle bag and his university backpack and walked into the house with Aaron and Nicky in tow. The moment he stepped into the house he heard a piercing shriek.

"EEEeeeEEEeeeEEEk!" screamed the voice.

"Don't you think that's a little dramatic?" Aaron asked.

"This is my house!" the voice called, in a voice that was very similar to Aaron's. "Get out!"

"Guys, if this is a prank, I don't think I get the joke," Neil said.

"It's no joke," Nicky said. "That's Andrew. Aaron's twin."

No. That was impossible. Neil had heard about Andrew, who was Aaron's twin and used to be a goalkeeper for the Foxes. He had killed himself last spring.

"That's not funny," Neil said. Even though there was plenty wrong with the monsters, Neil thought it was sick that they would joke about something like that.

"Get out!" the voice said again. Neil assumed it must have been some sort of recording, most likely of Aaron's voice. This had to be the stupidest excuse for a joke Neil Josten had ever heard.

"What's wrong with you?" Neil demanded of Aaron.

"Yeah, what's wrong with you, brother?" the voice said. "You know I don't like company."

"Well, you should have thought about that before you offed yourself and got yourself stuck in limbo forever," Aaron said.

Neil thought he was going to be sick. It couldn't be. He didn't believe in ghosts. If they were real, he was sure his mother would have haunted his ass. But Andrew was here talking to him as clear as day. "I don't believe it," Neil said stubbornly.

"This is why I want to get rid of the house," Nicky said. "I don't want to live here anymore. Not after what happened. And if you think Andrew was pissed off as a living person, you wouldn't believe what death has done to him."

Neil had never met Andrew, but it wasn't exactly a secret that he had a temper and a short fuse. The Foxes didn't talk about him, but even when Neil was at Millport he had kept up with the Foxes, at least the part of them that was visible to the public. 

Neil had kept up with both Kevin and Riko since that day eight years ago when his father had killed a man at their little league game. Kevin and Riko had both gone on to play for The Ravens, but when Kevin injured his hand he had come to play for the Foxes, using his non-dominant hand.

Neil had gone on the run during that time, and only during the last year did he stay in Millport and play exy. Even then, he switched from backliner to striker. He pretended he was new at exy and tried not to draw any attention to himself. But Kevin had picked him out and recruited him to the Foxes, all the while not knowing the Neil Josten was the same Nathan Wesninski from little league. Even though Neil had dyed his hair and wore brown color contacts to disguise his appearance, he was constantly worried Kevin was going to realize who he really was.

"Hey, loser," Andrew said. "Get out of my house."

"Is he... really a ghost?" Neil asked.

There was noises that sounded like pounding on the walls.

"Unfortunately, yes," Aaron said. "Which is why we can't sell the house. He didn't cooperate when he was alive. Why would he now?"

"Neil's coming to live with you," Nicky said. His body was tense, perhaps anticipating the screeches that were to come.

"Maybe I should just go back to the dorm with you guys," Neil said.

"Nope," Aaron said. "We tried to warn you. You're staying here tonight. Then next time maybe you'll listen to me when I give you some advice."

"Great. I look forward to spending the night with a ghost that hates me," Neil said.

"I don't hate you," Andrew said, and suddenly he materialized. Up until then he had been invisible, but now he had a solid form. He looked almost identical to his brother, but there was something different about him. There was just some sort of energy that he was giving off that made any doubts Neil had about whether Andrew was really a ghost disappear.

"I don't care enough about you to hate you," Andrew finished. He looked as real as if he were a live person. But he had appeared out of thin air. Neil almost wanted to poke Andrew and see if his finger would go right through it.

"Please. Let me go back to dorm with you?" Neil asked Nicky.

"Why?" Andrew asked, his smile not necessarily human. “I thought we were just starting to have a good time." He laughed, a terrible cold, dead laugh.

"I think it was all the screaming at me to get out," Neil said.

"I was just quoting a movie. You know the one where the guy yells at him to get out? What was that called again?" Andrew said from the corner of the room. It was like he was reluctant to get too close to the living.

Neil did not understand the reference Andrew was trying to make because he tried to avoid the media as much as possible.

"The movie was called _Get Out_," Nicky said.

"Never seen it," Neil admitted.

"Speaking of, Nicky... get out," Andrew said.

"I think he wants to be alone with you," Aaron said, amused.

"You get out, too," Andrew said in response.

"Can I get out?" Neil asked.

"Nope!" Aaron said. "You get to play sleepover with my suicidal dead brother. Have fun, guys!"

"Wait!" Neil said, but Aaron and Nicky were already halfway out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

# 2

And with that, Neil was alone with Andrew. Andrew's physical form disappeared and he had gone silent. Neil found that more unsettling than if he could see him.

Neil realized that it would be very easy for Andrew to spy on him and made a mental note not to take his shirt off in this house at any point. Most of the Foxes has some kind of physical scars, but Neil didn’t feel the need to share the severity of his.

Apparently, someone was still paying the electrical bills and the fridge was running, although there were only a couple of six packs of beer. Neil didn’t drink.

He felt like someone was watching him, whether it was paranoia or Andrew he wasn’t certain. Neil felt even less comfortable here than in the dorms, so he picked out a bed that was still made and decided to sleep so that if Andrew was watching him, he wouldn’t catch anything interesting.

Neil had been asleep for maybe fifteen minutes when he was awoken to a loud crashing noise. There was a sharp panic in his chest for a moment and he reached for a weapon upon instinct. He had none. Then he remembered where he was. It did little to settle his unease.

“Andrew?” his voice sounded groggy and strange.

Another crash and the unmistakable noise of glass shattering. Neil considered walking back to his dorm.

Instead he ran downstairs towards the source of the noise. As expected, it was Andrew. The first noise must have been him knocking the fridge over. The second noise was Andrew smashing one of the beer bottles Nicky and Aaron had left in the fridge. Andrew now held the neck of the bottle, brandishing the smashed end as a weapon.

“Have a good sleep?” he asked.

“I’ve had worse,” Neil said.

“Ha! Ha! He’s had worse, he says,” Andrew said. Neil wasn’t sure if he was talking to him or someone else. Maybe Andrew was talking to himself. “Must be nice to sleep.”

“It’s okay,” Neil said, wishing he was asleep now.

“I can’t,” Andrew said. “I tried to kill myself.” He looked at his wrists, though his forearms were covered by arm bands. “Now I can’t even sleep.”

“I’m sorry,” Neil said, and was surprised to find he meant it. “But what does that have to do with me?”

“Nothing,” Andrew said passively. “Nothing at all.” He dropped the bottle on the ground as if he had forgotten he was holding it. Neil might have been encouraged if Andrew didn’t grab another bottle, smash it on the counter, and then repeat the process. “I just have nothing better to do than torture you.”

Neil had no idea what to say to that. He watched Andrew break bottle after bottle until all twelve were shattered on the floor in a pile of sudsy beer. Neil couldn't understand the motivation but at the same time he didn't know what he would do with himself if he didn't have to focus on survival.

"Can you leave the house?" Neil asked Andrew.

"No, I'm stuck here forever," Andrew said.

"Forever?" Neil asked.

"Forever," Andrew confirmed.

Neil wondered how he could possibly know that. And then he thought of his mother. Was she trapped on the beach where she had died? Or had she moved on? Was moving on even a thing? Neil dismissed the thought. It hurt too much to think of where his mother might have moved on to.

"Is there anything I can do?" Neil asked. He didn't know why he said it. What could he possibly do?

"There is _nothing_. I'm nothing."

"Can I go back to bed?" Neil asked.

"Go," Andrew said. "Sleep. I dare you." He pulled out a knife from one of his arm bands. How did that make any sense? Was the knife real? If Neil hadn't seen with his own eyes Andrew appear and disappear he wouldn't have believed Andrew was a ghost.

Unless...

"Aaron?" Neil asked.

Then the knife was at Neil's throat and Andrew was looking at him with venom in his eyes. "Take that back."

Neil could feel the cool steel against his neck. It was real. "Are you Andrew or Aaron?" Neil asked, being careful not to move.

"You _wish_ I was Aaron," Andrew said.

"Okay. I'm sorry. Can you put the knife down?" Neil asked.

Andrew slowly lowered the knife. "I won't kill you. I don't want your ghost to stick around here. I can't stand the sight of you."

"I'll leave then," Neil said. "Just let me get my stuff and I'll be out of here. I'll walk back to campus."

"No, you stay here."

"I don't understand what you want from me," Neil said. "Just let me go."

"What do I want from you?" Andrew asked.

"I don't have anything to give you," Neil said. He didn't have anything to give anyone much less to a ghost who had nothing to live for and couldn't leave.

"Can you get me some cigarettes?"

The last thing Neil had thought Andrew would ask for was a midnight cigarette run. That was in the realm of possibility. “Okay,” Neil said. “I could do that.”

“Twelve packs,” Andrew said.

“How do you smoke?” Neil asked. “You’re a ghost. How can you carry knives and break bottles and knock things over?”

Andrew didn’t answer and Neil went out for cigarettes, looking over his shoulder for any emotion in Andrew’s face and finding none.


	3. Chapter 3

# 3

Neil looked for somewhere to buy cigarettes but didn’t find anywhere for several blocks when he stumbled on a gas station. He grabbed exactly twelve-packs of cigarettes for Andrew and nothing for himself before heading back to the house. On the way back, he wondered why he was going back to the house when he could go back to his dorm. He would have been very tempted excepr that his safe was hidden in his bag at the house.

His stomach lurched wondering if Andrew would find his safe and if he did what he would do with it. Andrew had nothing left to lose, and that made him dangerous.

Neil sped-walk back to to the house. “Andrew?” he called out. “I brought your cigarettes.”

Andrew didn’t answer, so Neil went upstairs to the room he claimed, hoping to find his safe untouched by ghost hands.

He didn’t find out the answer to that because Andrew was sitting on the bed staring off into the distance. He made no sign of whether or not he even noticed Neil’s presence.

“Did you really want the cigarettes?” Neil asked.

“This is my room,” Andrew said. “Why are you sleeping in my room?”

Neil hadn’t thought of that. The room had the nondescript vibe of a guest room, which was why Neil had chosen it. Of course, Andrew must have lived here at some point. In a way, he still did. Had he died here, too? Probably.

“Sorry. I didn’t know. Where should I sleep?” Neil was pretty sure that Andrew still wasn’t going to let him leave.

“Why don’t you sleep in Nicky’s room? He’d probably like that,” Andrew said. “He thinks you’re cute.” Neil wondered why Andrew knew that.

Neil grabbed his duffle bag and picked it up. “I guess I’ll go sleep then,” he said. He left the packs of cigarettes on the end of the bed, not going too close to Andrew.

“Can you light one for me?” Andrew asked.

Neil pulled out a cigarette. “Do you have a lighter?”

Andrew held a lighter out. “It doesn’t work for me.”

Neil took the lighter from Andrew, being very careful not to touch his skin. His... skin? Did ghosts have skin? Regardless, Neil didn't want to touch Andrew. Andrew seemed to realize this and dropped the lighter into Neil's hand.

"Do you smoke?" Andrew asked.

"No," Neil said. For a moment, he thought that the lighter was out of fluid, but it seemed to work fine for him. Neil passed Andrew the lit cigarette again being careful not to make any physical contact. He then lit a second cigarette from himself.

"I thought you didn't smoke," Andrew said inhaling on the end of his cigarette. It seemed to make no difference. He blew out, but there was no smoke.

"I just like to let them burn," Neil said. It was an odd habit he had, but he liked the smell. It always reminded him of his mother and though it hurt to remember her if he didn't who else would?

"You're kind of messed up," Andrew said. That was an understatement, but it wasn't exactly like Andrew had the right to talk.

Neil took a puff for Andrew's benefit and blew the smoke in his face. Andrew closed his eyes, inhaling the smoke.

"Why did you kill yourself?" Neil asked.

"Game over," Andrew said.

"Game over?"

"Yep, you lost. Try again tomorrow. Ask something less stupid. Get out of my room."

Neil took his cigarette with him. It burned at the same speed as Andrew's did. How could he hold cigarette but not smoke it? And then Neil realized. It was the breathing Andrew couldn't do. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't sleep, and he couldn't leave. Neil couldn't imagine what that felt like. He didn't know what life was like if he didn't have to run, much less what life would be like if running wasn't an option.

* * *

Aaron and Kevin showed up early to drive Neil to practice. "How was your night?" Aaron asked smugly.

Neil told him the same thing he said to his brother. "I've had worse." Although this morning cleaning up the beer and glass mess Andrew had left wasn't exactly his idea of a good time. Aaron looked disappointed by that answer. He probably made the stupid bet because he wanted Neil to suffer.

"How's Andrew?" Kevin asked, sounding uncharacteristically caring.

"He's a ghost," Neil said to avoid telling Kevin that Andrew was beyond messed up.

"You love to state the obvious, don't you?" Aaron said, and Neil hopped in the back of the car.

"Let's just get to practice," Neil said. Kevin and Aaron had been taking him for morning practices to try to prepare Neil for being a Fox. Aaron was a backliner, and both Kevin and Neil were strikers, but Aaron tended to play goalkeeper in their morning practices, presumably for Neil's benefit. Kevin was adamant about whipping Neil into shape, but Neil was tired and hadn't slept very well. He was thinking about Andrew.

"Are you going back there tonight?" Kevin asked after practice.

For a moment it didn't register to Neil what Kevin was saying. And then he realized he meant Andrew's house. Nicky's house. Whatever. "Yeah."

"Why?" Kevin asked. "Why don't you just come back to the dorm like a sane person?"

"I promised Andrew," Neil said. "Besides, no one ever said I was sane."


	4. Chapter 4

# 4

Neil's school day was long. It was Friday, his longest day. At least Dan had convinced him to drop a couple of classes so he didn't have to go to history. That left him with Spanish, Math, and Speech. He couldn't concentrate much in classes. Kevin had worked him particularly hard that morning at practice. His legs were aching and he wished he got a better sleep. Would Andrew let him sleep when he got home?

That was crazy. Neil didn't have a home. Why was he thinking of Andrew's house as home?

Aaron didn't have any interest in driving Neil back to the house. Neil tried to argue that all his stuff was still there but Aaron just didn't feel like driving him. Neil ended up taking the bus to the gas station he had bought Andrew cigarettes at last night and walking the rest of the way.

Neil had a key to the house and he felt it in his pocket. He opened the door, not knowing what he would expect to find there. He had only entered the house twice before. The first time Andrew had screamed bloody murderer. The second time Andrew didn't seem to care about Neil's presence and was disassociating sitting on his bed. Could ghosts disassociate? Maybe that was all that they had do.

"Andrew?" Neil called out, he put his backpack down on the floor. When he received no answer he went up to Nicky's bedroom (which he had now claimed as his own.) Neil took off his shoes and laid down, hoping to get a nap in. It was Friday, which meant he didn't have to be concerned about homework yet. Tomorrow was more practice with the Foxes, but they didn't have a game until next week. It was perfectly reasonable to indulge in a small afternoon nap. The only problem was the moment Neil's head hit the pillow he fell asleep to terrible nightmares.

It was as if he was half asleep in a daze. Someone was whispering in his ear and at first he thought it was his mother's voice. But then it turned into whispers from his father. Half-remembered dreams of that little league game where his entire life changed combined with tossing, turning, and the smell of his mother's burning flesh. Or was that his own?

Neil forced himself to wake up from his less than restful slumber. He went to the washroom and splashed cold water on his face. He almost had a heart attack when Andrew appeared behind him in the mirror. He probably would have if Andrew were any taller, but like his twin brother he was only five feet tall. Or if Andrew was older. Neil couldn't handle older men. They reminded him of his father. He didn't want to psychoanalyze that.

Andrew did nothing but stare at his reflection. At Neil's reflection or his own? Neil wasn't sure but it was beyond unsettling. "Do ghosts need to go to the bathroom?" Neil asked, already knowing the answer. If Andrew couldn't breath, then he certainly couldn't take a piss (except perhaps metaphorically.)

Andrew didn't answer, but he put his hand under the tap and Neil watched the water go right through him.

"I saw you breaking bottles yesterday," Neil said. "Do they have a ghost physics class at Palmetto State?"

"I took Criminal Justice," Andrew said, which surprised Neil more than the ghost physics.

"You don't seem the type to trust the police," Neil commented.

"I don't. That's why I wanted to know how things work in case it could help me out if I was in trouble. I've been in trouble with the law before. Not that it much matters now. I've got a death sentence now. Or is it a life sentence? Maybe both. I'm dead _and_ imprisoned."

"This isn't life," Neil said. "I don't know what it is, but it's not life."

Andrew seemed to consider this for a moment. "Do you want to keep playing our game?"

"What are the rules?" Neil asked.

"You ask me a question, and if it's not too stupid I'll answer it." Neil remembered when he had shut down last night when Neil had asked him why he had killed himself. Not that Neil blamed him. That wasn't exactly the sort of thing you ask someone the first time you met them. "But if I answer a question, you owe me an answer."

"I don't do answers," Neil said.

Andrew didn't react. "Do you want to play the game?"

"Okay," Neil said. "I'm thinking of a question."

"Better hurry up, before I get bored," Andrew said.

Neil tried to think of a question that wouldn't be too personal but would tell him something more about why Andrew was the way that he was. "What do you do all day?"

"That's boring," Andrew said. "I suffer all day."

"Is that My Chemical Romance lyrics?" Neil asked. He hadn't heard My Chemical Romance's music but he had heard that joke from one of the Foxes and thought it would apply to this situation.

"Yes, it is," Andrew said.

"Really?" Neil asked.

"No," Andrew said, which made Neil wonder if he knew all of the lyrics to My Chemical Romance's songs.

"A real answer," Neil said. "Suffer isn't specific enough."

"I don't do much at all," Andrew said. "There's not much I'm capable of anymore. Are you _satisified_ with that answer?"

"I'm satisfied enough," Neil said. 

"My turn then," Andrew said. "What's in the safe?"

"What?" Neil asked, playing dumb.

"I can't open it," Andrew said. "I tried. I could probably stick my hand in there if I tried. I'm not always what you would call solid."

"Your brother said something similar about you," Neil said. Andrew wasn't stable in life or death as far as Aaron was concerned and Neil didn't have a mind to disagree with him.

"What's in the safe, Neil? I answered your question. You were satisfied. You said so yourself." Andrew looked at him with a grin. It was the first time Neil had seen him show genuine interest in anything.

"A binder," Neil said.

"Something a little less vague, maybe?" Andrew said. "What's in the binder?"

Maybe Neil could just give him a little bit of the truth and get away with it. He sense that Andrew was doing the same thing in their game. "Money. About 250,000 dollars."

"Hmm..." Andrew said. He looked like he wanted to ask more follow up questions, but he didn't. That's not how the game worked, and for some reason Neil knew Andrew would accept that.

"Satisfied?" Neil asked.

"I'll never be satisfied," Andrew said. "But your answer was okay. Hey, you want to burn some more cigarettes together?"

"Pretty sad that that's the most joy you can experience," Neil said.

"I could say the same thing about you," Andrew said. "Remind me later to ask why you just burn the cigarettes and just smoke them."

"It's not your turn," Neil said. He avoided asking anything else. It was already too risky of a game.

"Then ask something," Andrew said.

"Let's burn cigarettes instead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Andrew probably does know every My Chemical Romance lyric. The only lyric he really quoted was from the musical Hamilton see if you can spot it.
> 
> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it! I’m carlyraeswift on Tumblr also if you want to come scream about the Foxes with me or see what I’m up to.


	5. Chapter 5

# 5

The following day was Saturday. Kevin, Aaron, and Nicky came to the house to pick Neil up for an early practice with the whole team. Neil and Kevin practiced every morning but practice with the entire team was less often. It could easily turn into a mess because the team didn't get along very well.

There were nine members on the team, the lowest amount you could legally have for an exy team. Renee was the goalkeeper. The strikers were Kevin, Neil, and Seth, while Dan was offensive dealer and Allison defensive dealer. Backliners included Nicky, Aaron, and Matt.

The players were mostly talented, but the team work and communication was non-existent at best. Aaron didn't get along very well with anyone other than Nicky, and even Nicky didn't get along with Seth who had a penchant for homophobic slurs. 

Neil got along fine enough with Matt and his girlfriend Dan but he didn't trust Renee. Her calm demeanor and the cross she wore around her neck made her seem like she was hiding something. 

Allison was dating Seth and Neil couldn't understand why she was on the team. She was rich and model good looking. There must have been something wrong with her if she ended up with the Foxes. 

There was almost a fist fight between Seth and Aaron during practice, but afterwards Dan and Matt asked Neil if he would like to go to a party with them later. Neil wasn't sure at all that he wanted to go to a party. He didn't drink. But when Kevin, Aaron, and Nicky agreed to go with him he decided to go. 

Neil wished Andrew could go, that was a stupid idea though. Andrew would be no use at a party even if he wasn't tethered to one place for the rest of eternity. 

But Neil found himself later at the house party with Kevin, Aaron, and Nicky. Dan and Matt were to meet them later. Maybe Allison and Renee.

Neil hated the party. He wasn't exactly the type for mingling. That sort of thing was dangerous and altogether not worth it.

"You didn't answer me earlier," Kevin said, sipping on beer from a red solo cup.

"Huh?" Neil asked. He couldn't remember Kevin asking him anything.

"I asked how Andrew was," Kevin said.

"Oh." Neil had gotten away from that one by saying "he's a ghost" which was simply stating facts. He didn't say anything about how Andrew was. Although, how good could someone be after they killed themselves? "He can't sleep."

"Of course he can't," Kevin said. "He's a ghost."

"Okay, he's about as bad as you would expect then," Neil said.

"Maybe I should send Renee over there," Kevin mused. "She doesn't know that he's still around if you know what I mean."

"Why would you send Renee? Who all knows about Andrew?" Neil asked. He was drinking water out of his solo cup, hoping to pass it off as vodka if anyone asked.

"Renee was friends with Andrew," Kevin said, surprising Neil. "Just you, me, Aaron, and Nicky."

"Wow," Neil said. He wasn't sure whether he was wowing because Andrew actually had friends or because there were only four living breathing people that knew about Andrew's _situation._

"Yeah, I don't really get why they were friends either," Kevin said. "This party sucks. You want to go home?"

Neil was shaken by this. "What?"

"Don't be a dumbass," Kevin said. "I mean you want to go hang out at Andrew's since you apparently live there? I was asking you to go _home_ with me."

"I knew that," Neil said, except that he had not known that. Home. Neil's home. Andrew's home. How did things get so strange. "Yeah, sure. We could do that."

"Should we invite Nicky?" Kevin asked. When Neil shrugged Kevin called Nicky over and the three of them bused over to the gas station and walked the rest of the way to Andrew's house.

When they got in the house Andrew was silent. Nicky went straight to the fridge.

"Uh, yeah, there's nothing in there," Neil said.

"What? You drank two six-packs by yourself?" Nicky asked. "I didn't think you had it in you."

"I didn't drink them. Your cousin decided it would be fun to smash them to keep me awake," Neil said.

"That does sound like Andrew's idea of fun," Nicky said.

"Andrew?" Kevin called out, looking for him which was foolish when Andrew could appear and disappear on command. He would show up if he wanted to. If not, he wouldn't.

"When I agreed to come to your house party Neil, I thought there would be refreshments. You know. Anything besides running water," Nicky said.

"We should have bought stuff at the gas station," Kevin said. "Neil's too basic to have food."

This garnered a laugh from Andrew. Although he didn't materialize it did seem that he was in the room.

"Hey, Andrew," Kevin said.

"Hey," Nicky said to his cousin glumly. "How about I go to the gas station and get some booze and stuff?" Nicky asked.

"All Neil has is eleven packs of cigarettes," Andrew said. "And an absurd amount of money for someone looking so homeless. Is that why he moved in with me? Was he that desperate for shelter?"

"Probably," Nicky said. "But I wouldn't get too attached to him. He's trying to sell the house."

"I won't let you," Andrew said. It was as if he were standing in the corner of the room, but he still hadn't bothered to take on a physical form. "I can be pretty persuasive."

"I was thinking about just keeping it," Neil said although he didn't know why. "I don't think anyone else could stand living with Andrew.”

“Does that mean you _can_ stand living with Andrew?” Nicky asked.

“I’ve dealt with worse,” Neil said, passing it off.

“I think I’m going to win our bet,” Nicky told Kevin.

“What bet?” Neil asked.

“I bet you liked guys,” Nicky explained. “Kevin bet you like girls.”

“I don’t like anyone,” Neil said. “So, I guess you both lost.”

“You don’t have to like anyone. You just have to want to do stuff with them,” Nicky said.

“I don’t want to do stuff with anybody,” Neil said. “I don’t swing.”

“Important question,” Kevin said. “Can Andrew even do stuff if he’s a ghost?”

“I AM RIGHT HERE!!!” Andrew screamed in Kevin’s ear.

“Ow,” Kevin said, holding his ear. “Also, that’s not an answer.”

“Kevin are you gay?” Neil asked.

“Kevin’s bi, didn’t you know?” Nicky said.

“No, I didn’t,” Neil said. “It’s not a big deal, I was just wondering.”

“Why do _you_ like _Kevin_?” Nicky asked.

“No, I don’t like Kevin. Does Kevin like Andrew?” Neil asked which earned some dramatic screeches from Andrew’s ghost.

“I don’t like Andrew that way. We’re just friends. And also he’s dead. It would never work,” Kevin said.

“Okay, I’m going to leave and get some beer and snacks,” Nicky said. “I will be back in approximately thirty minutes. If anyone wants to have either ghost sex or real sex while I’m gone they should do it within that time frame.”

“Fuck you, Nicky,” Kevin said. Andrew screeched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a schedule and from now on new chapters will be posted Wednesdays and Sundays! Thanks for reading.


	6. Chapter 6

# 6

The time where Nicky left for “refreshments” wasn’t thirty minutes but it still was awkward. Andrew had decided to ghost Kevin and Neil, which is decidedly easier if you are a ghost.

“Why do you want to stay here?” Kevin asked Neil.

“It’s a nice house,” Neil said, which wasn’t really an answer at all. He was pretty sure that Andrew hated him but it also seemed like Andrew was bored enough with his (after) life that he wanted someone to keep him company. Or someone to “torture” if you wanted to use Andrew’s words.

“I still don’t understand why Aaron wanted to pawn it off on you,” Kevin mused.

“I don’t understand why Aaron does anything,” Neil said and for once he was telling the complete truth.

“Honey, I’m home,” Nicky said. Neil wasn’t sure who he was talking to. Maybe Kevin. Nicky was dating a guy named Eric but that didn’t stop him from flirting with just about everyone and Kevin was part of his “guilt free three.” Which sounded insane to Neil. He wondered what kind of person Eric was but he had never met him. Eric lived in Germany.

Kevin said nothing but ran towards the booze. Nicky had brought whiskey and tequila as well as Doritos and all dressed chips. Neil poured himself a glass of water and put the chips into bowls, eating a few of them.

“Look at you, Neil,” Nicky said. “you’re getting better at hosting already.”

“Don’t get used to it,” Neil said.

“What we’re not going to party here every weekend?” Nicky complained.

“Why didn’t you do that when it was _your_ house?” Neil asked.

“Andrew wasn’t as cooperative for me,” Nicky said. “He must like you.”

“I like nothing and no one, you’re just more annoying than him,” Andrew noted.

“I think it’s because he talks less,” Kevin informed Nicky.

“Everyone talks more than Neil,” Nicky said.

“Must be why Andrew likes him,” Kevin said.

“Yeah, but why did he like Renee?” Neil asked. He didn’t mean to blurt it out, but he was curious. It didn’t seem like a girl like Renee with the cross hanging around her neck and her calm demeanour would be of any interest to someone like Andrew.

“Who _doesn’t_ like Renee?” Nicky asked. Neil didn’t want to state the obvious so he said nothing.

“They have stuff in common,” Kevin said ambiguously.

“I _love_ how everyone talks like I’m not here,” Andrew said.

“Well, then maybe you should stop disappearing because it’s easier to remember and know you’re around when we can see you,” Nicky said. He took a sip of the tequila, just barely wincing at the taste.

“I would, except you can’t stand the sight of me,” Andrew said from his corner (presumably.)

Nicky’s mouth hung open. He looked as if he wanted to deny the accusations but they hit the nail on the head.

“It doesn’t matter whether he’s visible or not,” Neil said, trying to defuse the situation, or maybe trying to stick up for Andrew.

“I covered the scars up, don’t you remember, Cousin? I made you get me my armbands… and my knives.”

“It’s fine,” Nicky said soberly. “It’s okay if you want to show up.”

Neil realized Andrew was mad at Nicky for wanting to get rid of the house. For wanting to leave him alone. For it being too hard for Nicky to look at his dead cousin. He understood why Andrew was mad. But he could also see Nicky’s point of view. It made him uncomfortable.

Andrew was in the corner where Neil had expected him to be. He appeared in a sort of shimmer taking just a few seconds to materialize. His forearms were still covered by the armbands. He wore the same black t-shirt and jeans that he had every time Neil had saw him. Was that the outfit he had died in?

For one excruciating moment no one said anything.

“Dude,” Nicky said. “You look pale as a ghost.”

Neil let out a short forced laugh at that. Kevin did a slightly more believable laugh. “He’s always been that pale.”

Nicky and Andrew were cousins but Andrew and his twin Aaron were both extremely pale while Nicky’s complexion was darker, His mother was from Mexico and he looked nothing like Andrew and Aaron.

“It’s a good thing I never liked the sun,” Andrew said. “I never get to see it anymore.” It was slightly depressing but it was in surprising good humour for Andrew and Kevin chuckled.

“Is it easier for you to do things at night?” Neil asked.

Andrew nodded. “Ever heard of liminal spaces?”

“No, I haven’t,” Neil said. “Do they teach that in Ghost Physics?”

“Presumably they would if Ghost Physics was a real class,” Andrew said. “They also might teach it to you in Psychology. You should take that. It might help you.”

“I don’t need therapy,” Neil said.

“Sure,” Andrew said dismissively. “Liminal Spaces are places of transit, where people feel uncomfortable. Where reality feels altered, in a way. Night has a way of making things more liminal. Liminal is better for ghosts.”

“Because you’re not real,” Neil said.

“I’m not?” Andrew raised an eyebrow, amused.

“Okay, but the really important question here is,” Nicky stated. “Can you drink booze?”

Andrew shook his head.

“Bummer,” Nicky said. “I was going to suggest drinking games. How about spin the bottle?”

“Nicky, no,” Kevin said.

“Okay, what does _Andrew_ want to do?” Nicky asked, perhaps trying to make amends with his cousin.

“Want to play a game?” Andrew asked.

“What kind of game?” Nicky asked.

“Yes or no?” Andrew asked.

Nicky looked at Kevin who shrugged and then at Neil.

“We’ll play,” Neil said, hoping he wouldn’t regret this.


	7. Chapter 7

# 7

“What’s the game?” Kevin asked.

“It’s spin the bottle,” Andrew said, looking into Kevin’s eyes very seriously for a moment before bursting into laughter. “I’m just fucking with you. It’s Truth or Dare.”

“Truth or Dare? What are we thirteen?” Nicky asked.

“You wanted to play _spin the bottle_,” Neil pointed out, although the idea of Truth or Dare terrified him. He would have to pick Dare every time. Even then it was risky. 

“You’re just scared,” Andrew said to his cousin. Neil wondered what Nicky could possibly have to worry about with Truth or Dare. In fact, it sounded like the exact sort of childish thing that Nicky would be into.

“We already agreed to it,” Kevin said. “So, Nicky... Truth or Dare?”

“Truth,” Nicky said.

"Am I really on your guilt free three?" Kevin asked. "Is that really a thing that you have?"

"Oh, yeah," Nicky said. "It's absolutely real. I don't think Eric would be thrilled if we acted on it though..."

"Don't worry, Nicky," Kevin said. "We're never going to act on it."

"What if acting on it is the next dare?" Andrew asked.

"Well, it's my turn to ask," Nicky said. "So... Neil. Truth or Dare?"

Neil's instinct was to run straight out of the house and never come back. But he had already decided how he was going to play this. He was just going to pick Dare every time and suffer the consequences.

"Dare," Neil said.

"I dare you to kiss Andrew," Nicky said.

"Is that even possible?" Kevin asked.

Andrew took one finger and gently poked Kevin in the arm with it. "I think so. Did you feel that?"

"I felt it," Kevin said quietly.

"There's no way I'm kissing Andrew!" Neil said.

"Is it because I'm a ghost?" Andrew asked.

"No, it's because..." Neil said and then he realized he couldn't quite think of a reasonable answer why he wouldn't kiss Andrew. "It's just because."

"Maybe he really is straight," Kevin suggested.

"I don't swing either way," Neil said.

"I'm a ghost it doesn't even count as swinging," Andrew said.

"I'm not sexually attracted to ghosts," Neil said.

"No," Nicky said. "Just emotionally attracted to one particular ghost."

"I hate this fucking game," Kevin said.

"I don't like Andrew," Neil said, half under his breath.

"Prove it," Nicky said.

Neil was now angry, and when he was angry he couldn't control his impulses. He grabbed Andrew's face and kissed him forcefully. It didn't feel _anything_ like the one kiss Neil remembered with a girl. It wasn't because Andrew was a ghost either. He felt very much alive, his lips warm and his tongue wet and inviting. Neil had meant for just a peck, but now Andrew had grabbed onto his face and kept it close to his, deepening the kiss and making it last dangerously long.


End file.
